While the family's decision to take two young children on an around-the-world sailing trip has been criticized in the wake of last week's dramatic rescue, Lt. Col. Nando Polo told NBC 7 that the parents of 1-year-old Lyra Kaufman "did everything right" once they realized the seriousness of the situation.

Polo, who is with the 129th Rescue Wing, was the operations commander who took the initial call concerning the Kaufmans after the family with San Diego roots ran into trouble off the coast of Mexico.